Biggie and the Mangled Mortician

Biggie Weatherford #2

by Nancy Bell

This time out, as her twelve-year-old grandson J.R. narrates, the grande dame of the East Texas town of Job's Crossing definitely has her hands full. She's directing and starring in a local production of HMS Pinafore, but just before the first rehearsal, cast member and new town mortician Monk Carter suddenly takes his final bow. The cause of death is chalked up to either a heart attack or epileptic seizure, Although Doc Hopper's examination shows that the undertaker's ribs were powerfully crushed. Suspects are few and far between, but there's no stopping Biggie, with J.R. at her side, as they attempt to bring down the curtain on a crafty killer.

Loaded with quirky Southern charm, knee-slapping humor, and irresistible eccentric characters, Biggie and the Mangled Mortician will delight old Biggie fans-- and make new ones wonder how they ever lived without her.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Humor, Audiobook, Cozy

240 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 1, 1997

Reviews

[Marquita Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun light-lighthearted book. Love this series about East Texas!

[Becky Loader · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh, my. Too much east Texas patois for me.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read actual paperbacks much slower now. They are my before bed read, so I don't normally spend much time on them. It's funny how in five little months my reading habits can change completely.

This was a strange and short novel about the death of the new mortician, the finding of $19,000 and the people in what appears to be a really really small town in Texas. Either I wasn't paying very close attention, or I just didn't care, but I had no idea who murdered the man. I found I spent a lot more time trying to read the dialect in this book than deciphering the clues. I will admit, since I never read the back blurbs on the books, I thought JR was a girl at first!

I'm not sure I'd pick up another one by Nancy Bell. This book being so short really should have taken less time to finish. And I wish I had of liked the characters more. Biggie seemed to be the matriarch to everyone and I found that annoying as she seemed quite bossy. And everyone came to her for everything, including Butch the wanna be sheriff. It all seemed a bit silly to me.

[Tiffany Manning · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the 2nd book in the Biggie series. There were several very funny scenes in this book but I felt some aspects of the book lacked flow and direction. There were also several items mentioned in this book that were never explained (was Cooter's lottery ticket worth anything?) that I hope are reexamined in later books. However, I enjoyed the characters and I will definitely continue to read the other books in the series.

[Patricia O. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is narrated by a 7th grader. I don't think I will read another book in the series. It was an ok read, I just could not connect.

[luna · Rating 3 out of 5]

it’s an older series so i try not to be offended. the characters are well done however. 3.5 stars

[Debby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes this little series can be hard to follow but boy oh boy, does Nancy Bell have an imagination. I think this series set in Texas with Biggie and her grandson, JR, as the central characters is a hoot to read. I have Texas drawls and lisps just running through my mind. Add in Rosebud and Willie Mae and the household is complete. The food descriptions make me think of dinner at my Nanny's. Just a fun book to read.

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty quick listen as I was working in my garden, about 5 and a half hours. Although the genre is mystery, I like this series more for the people and way of life aspect, as told from the viewpoint of a 12-year-old boy in a small Texas town. There is a mystery to be solved, but I didn't think it was hard to figure out.

There is a wide range of characters, from the boy, J. R., and his household, including his grandmother (the title character of Biggie Weatherford), a black cook who does voodoo, and the cook's husband who tells some tall tales of things he has done and people he has known, to all sorts of townspeople. All of them enjoy eating, and part of the flavor (excuse the pun) of the stories is the kinds of food they eat. Growing up in Texas myself, I consider a lot of these foods to be typically Texan, or at least Southern.

This is by no mean a heavy, dark mystery, but I enjoyed it as a light read with a humorous touch.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a hard book to review. I am not sure how I feel about it. It is a quick read and I ordered several based on a friend's recommendation before I read any of them. After reading the first three, I can say they are entertaining in many ways, but they are full of stereotypes and offensive language at times. So, I think these books have good and bad, just be careful and if you are sensitive to stereotyping and language, then I would have to say you might want to skip this series. If you are pretty laid back and don't get wound up about things, then try this series - you may just enjoy the humor..... They are quick and do have funny moments too.

I think you will either really enjoy the series or really hate it, but either way you should fairly strong feeling about it I would think.....

[Bev Walkling · Rating 2 out of 5]

From reading the back cover I was expecting this book might be similar in terms of enjoyment to Dorothy Gilman's Mrs. Pollifax books. It came nowhere near! Told from the perspective of Biggie's 12 year old grandson JR (I didn't realize he was a he till further into the book although it was mentioned on the cover - guess I had just skipped over that part!)I just didn't care about the individuals in the story or the story line. I won't be reading more from this series.

[Vickie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rather fun cozy series taking place in the South and one where the local law enforcement doesn't mind the amateur sleuth helping out. Biggie is an older woman with a grandson and passel of friends who love nosing around and solving the crime. This one is the murder of the new mortician in town. The town play is getting in the way of solving the crime.
Fun and I look forward to listening to more from this series.

[Amy the book-bat · Rating 4 out of 5]

The page count on Goodreads is wrong, the copy I read was only 201 pages.

Anyway, this is the second of the Biggie novels. Who is the new mortician? And why was he murdered? Biggie and her grandson J.R. are on the case to find out. There were a lot of twists and turns and I am still loving the quirky characters and the "down-home" southern country sayings. I am really glad that these books were recommended in a cozy reading group because they are so much fun.

[Stina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book #9 for 2010. I don't like how Bell writes some of the dialect, but these books are fun, quick reads. I did figure out who committed the murder and how very early on, but watching the why of it all unfold was what it was all about.

[Evonne Edgington · Rating 3 out of 5]

light reading, humorous

[Rhonda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not great literature, but fun for an expatriate Texan!

[Rkb 2015 · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Joan Havelange · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good read, I loved the characters and the mystery. Thanks Nancy

[Sarah Boyette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took me a few minutes to get the rhythm, but then it was a quick and fun read.